Knitting apparatus

ABSTRACT

A knitting apparatus for use by individuals and especially such apparatus for hand operation. The present apparatus incorporates means making it easily adjustable to accommodate different thickness of yarns and patterns for the work pieces.

Write .lieney States tet [191 KNITTING APPARATUS [76] Inventor: George K. Janey, 7024 Southlane,

Apt. B, St. Louis, Mo. 63109 [22] Filed: July 21, 1971 [21] ApplNo; 164,611

[52] [1.8. CI ..66/60 [51] Int. Cl. ..ll)04b 7/00 [58] Field of Search ..66/60 H, 64 H, 109

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Von Skene et al. ..66/60 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 575,941 5/1959 Canada ..66/60 961,740 4/1957 Germany 509,477 3/1952 Belgium ..66/6O Primary ExaminerRonald Feldbaum Attorney-Gravely, Lieder & Woodruff [5 7] ABSTRACT A knitting apparatus for use by individuals and especially such apparatus for hand operation. The present apparatus incorporates means making it easily adjustable to accommodate different thickness of yarns and patterns for the work pieces.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PAH-INTEL MAY 2 9 I975 SHEET 1 OF 2 head cap.

1 knrrrmc APPARATUS BRIEF BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Knitting apparatus for hand operation is known to be difficult to adjust to care for use of yarns of different weight and to permit the knitting of various patterns. In the older apparatus, the sliding upper housing had the objectionable problem of getting out of alignment with the stationary housing due to the use of adjustment screws at opposite ends of the apparatus. These screws required individual manipulation and upon tightening the screws it usually resulted in slipping of the sliding housing.

In the presently preferred embodiment the older separate adjustment screws are eliminated and vernier adjustment means is incorporated either at the center of the apparatus or at two spaced positions in combination with a scale to indicate visually the extent of the adjustment. Thus, the loosening and tightening of separate screws is eliminated and much improved adjustment is achieved which is simpler to operate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The preferred adjustment means for hand operated knitting apparatus has been disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the knitting apparatus forming the subject of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the knitting apparatus as seen from the front thereof;

FIG. 3 is a view from the under side of the knitting apparatus showing the adjustment means;

FIG. 4 is a view from the end of the apparatus as seen along line 4-4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional elevational view of the as seen along line 5-5 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a knitting apparatus of the character seen in FIG. 3, but in which a modified arrangement of the apparatus adjusting means has been disclosed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE KNITTING APPARATUS In FIGS. 1, 4 and 5 it can be seen that the apparatus 10 comprises a stationary housing composed of base plate 11 which extends the length of the apparatus and is supported on spaced legs 12 having feet 13 to engage the work supporting surface or table (not shown). Each leg 12 (FIG. 4) is notched at surfaces 14 and 15, and has a surface 16 engaged by plate 11. A spacer block 17 is fixed to the upper surface of plate 11 along its lower edge, and a cap plate 18 is secured to the block 17 so as to overhang the block and plate 11. An elongated head cap 19 is secured to the plate 11 in spaced relation from the upper edge of the cap plate 18, thereby forming a longitudinallyextending, open ended space, 20 between the cap plate 18 and head cap 19.

' The frame is completed by a heel cap 21, and all of these frame components are suitably adhesively or otherwise'secured in assembly with the legs 12. The head cap 19 carries a wear strip 22 which is spaced from the plate 11, and a suitable scale 23 also is provided on the Still with reference to FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, the stationary housing carries a slide bar 24 which is movable back and forth. by handles 25 in the slide way formed beneath the cap plates 18 and 19. The handles project outwardly through the space 20 between the plates 18 and 19. A wear strip 26 is secured to-the edge of the slide bar 24 as this bar actuates a plurality of needle elements 27 which are captured in individual grooves 28 in the plate 11. Each needle 27 has an upwardly bent tail portion 29 captured in grooves 30 in the cap plate 18. The needle tail portions 29 are engaged by a resilient strip 31 and a plurality of spring leaves 32 are positioned against the strip 31 and have an end secured to the spacer block 17. As the slide 24 is moved its cam surface 33 (FIG. 1) releases the spring backed strip 31 and that advances the needles 27 so that the upwardly formed working ends 34 move outwardly to the dotted positions (FIG. 5). In this manner the plurality of needle ends 34 are worked in and out to perform the knitting stroke.

As seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the leg notch surfacess 14 support a face bar 35 which spans the legs 12, and the work holder bar 36 is located next to the face bar 35 so that its lip 37 defines a goove for the support of a work rod 38. The rod 38 is removably held next to the face bar 35 by a pair of end screws 39 whose heads serve as retainers, and the rod 38 carries a plurality of nail-like fingers 40 which are spaced so that the several needle portions 34 can pass therebetween.

An adjuster assembly A is located between legs 12 and has bracket block 41 (FIGS. 2-5) secured to the under surface of the plate 11. The block has an aperture 42 formed therein; and a threaded shaft 43 is pressed into the aperture so it will remain fixed. A slide block 44 is loosely received on the shaft 43, and a notch 45 is formed in this block to receive an adjustment nut 46 which engages the threads on shaft 43. The slide block 44 is mounted on the shaft 43 and is pressed against the nut 46 by a compression spring 47 to take up the looseness in the threads. The slide block 44 is attached to the face bar 35 at its central zone between the opposite ends which are slidably supported on the notch surface 14 of the legs 12. The work holder bar 36 is attached to the face bar 35 and moves along the notch surface 14 so that the work rod 38 may be positioned selectively as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The selective positioning of the work rod 38 is achieved by turning the nut 46 to cause it to move along the shaft 43. The movement of nut 46 causes the block 44 to slide on the under surface of plate 11 and to move the face bar 35 along with it. Lost motion in the threads and nut 46 is taken up by the spring 47. The extent of movement of the face bar 35 is indicated by a pointer 48 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 5) fixed thereto and movable along a scale 49 secured to the adjacent side of the legs 12. During the adjustment of position of the face bar 35 by the block 44 at its center, the opposite ends are guided in a straight line by a guide pin 50 fixed in each leg 12 by its base end 51 being mounted in the leg notch surface 15 (FIG. 4), while its outer length is slidably received in suitable bores in the face bar 35 and holder bar 36 (FIGS. 2, 4 and 5).

In FIG. 6 there is seen a modified embodiment which is equipped with a pair of adjustment assemblies A, each such assembly being similar to the assembly A of FIGS. 3 and 5. In this modification the selective positioning of the face and holder bars 35 and 36 respectively, requires that both assemblies A must be manipulated and the amount of movement is indicated by pointers 48 and cooperating scales 49. Thus, guide pins 50 (FIG. 4) are now replaced by adjusters A adjacent each leg 12.

In each of the embodiments, the adjustment assembly A is intended to make the positioning of the work rod 38 easier and more positive than in the older apparatus. This is important as the location of the row of knitting fingers 40 relative to the movable needle portions 34 determines the character of the work product as to whether it is tight or loose. As the present improvement is chiefly directed to the adjustment assembly A, no disclosure is included of the fact that a pair of rods 38 are required to constitute the stockinetter assembly. Once the bars 35 and 36 have been adjusted to the desired setting by assembly A, or the pair of these assemblies as in FIG. 6, the knitting work may proceed until completed. An advantage is that the assemblies A remain in adjusted settings because of the compression springs. Also, the assemblies A, singly or in pairs, yield a more easily obtainable adjustment which can be accurately set merely by manipulation of the thumb nut 46 at each assembly. The provision of scales 49 at each leg 12 allows the location of the face bar 35 to be accurately selected so that the work bar 38 will be parallel to the line of movable needle ends 34.

What is claimed is:

1. In knitting apparatus a stationary elongated housing, leg supports connected to said housing at spaced points, each leg having a notch therein, holder means slidably mounted in said leg notches, a plurality of movable knitting needles operably mounted in said housing for movement outwardly of said housing, a knitting rod mounted in said holder means and a plurality of fingers carried by said rod in positions to be by-passed by said movable needles, and adjuster means carried by said housing and operably engaged with said holder means, said adjuster means consisting of a threaded shaft fixed relative to said housing, a slide block secured to said holder means and formed with a notch, an adjusting nut engaged on said threaded shaft in said slide block notch, and a resilient element between said housing and slide block to absorb lost motion in said shaft threads and nut, said adjuster means being adapted to position said rod and fingers in a selective position relative to the movement of said movable knitting needles.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said adjuster means is located centrally of said housing length, said legs are spaced outwardly of said adjuster means at each side, and guide means are mounted in each leg to engage said holder means and maintain alignment thereof during adjustment.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said legs are spaced along the length of said housing, and adjuster means is operably positioned adjacent each leg.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said legs are spaced along the length of said housing, an adjustment scale is carried by each leg, and cooperating pointer means is carried by said slidable holder means to indicate on said scales the amount of holder movement.

5. Knitting apparatus consisting of an elongated housing, a slide bar mounted in said housing and movable longitudinally thereof, knitting needles operably mounted in said housing in individual grooves and movable in directions normal to the housing elongation in response to slide bar movement, other bar means carried by said housing and extending lengthwise thereof, said other bar means defining an elongated groove along one side of the path of movement of said knitting needles, work rod means secured in said last mentioned elongated groove, knitting fingers on said work rod means projecting across the path of movement of said knitting needles so that the latter needles pass between said fingers, and adjustment means operably connected between said housing and said other bar means and including first threaded means fixed relative to said housing and second complementary threaded means rotatable relative to said other bar means and longitudinally movable by the threads of said first means to displace said other bar means for selective positioning of said knitting fingers relative to said knitting needles. 

1. In knitting apparatus a stationary elongated housing, leg supports connected to said housing at spaced points, each leg having a notch therein, holder means slidably mounted in said leg notches, a plurality of movable knitting needles operably mounted in said housing for movement outwardly of said housing, a knitting rod mounted in said holder means and a plurality of fingers carried by said rod in positions to be by-passed by said movable needles, and adjuster means carried by said housing and operably engaged with said holder means, said adjuster means consisting of a threaded shaft fixed relative to said housing, a slide block secured to said holder means and formed with a notch, an adjusting nut engaged on said threaded shaft in said slide block notch, and a resilient element between said housing and slide block to absorb lost motion in said shaft threads and nut, said adjuster means being adapted to position said rod and fingers in a selective position relative to the movement of said movable knitting needles.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said adjuster means is located centrally of said housing length, said legs are spaced outwardly of said adjuster means at each side, and guide means are mounted in each leg to engage said holder means and maintain alignment thereof during adjustment.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said legs are spaced along the length of said housing, and adjuster means is operably positioned adjacent each leg.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said legs are spaced along the length of said housing, an adjustment scale is carried by each leg, and cooperating pointer means is carried by said slidable holder means to indicate on said scales the amount of holder movement.
 5. Knitting apparatus consisting of an elongated housing, a slide bar mounted in said housing and movable longitudinally thereof, knitting needles operably mounted in said housing in individual grooves and movable in directions normal to the housing elongation in response to slide bar movement, other bar means carried by said housing and extending lengthwise thereof, said other bar means defining an elongated groove along one side of the path of movement of said knitting needles, work rod means secured in said last mentioned elongated groove, knitting fingers on said work rod means projecting across the path of movement of said knitting needles so that the latter needles pass between said fingers, and adjustment means operably connected between said housing and said other bar means and including first threaded means fixed relative to said housing and second complementary threaded means rotatable relative to said other bar means and longitudinally movable by the threads of said first means to displace said other bar means for selective positioning of said knitting fingers relative to said knitting needles. 